RETAIL giant Wilko is embroiled in a row over sick pay for its employees in stores and distribution centres amid claims it is planning to cut the entitlement.

The GMB union said tens of thousands of workers faced cuts, while anyone who has been with the company for less than a year will not receive any sick pay.

Wilko, which has stores in Wrexham, Chester and Ellesmere Port, said it had been talking to the union about its "pressing need" to reduce its "high" sickness absence levels.

Gary Carter, national officer of the GMB, said strikes over weekend rotas at Wilko were only prevented last year after last ditch talks at the conciliation service Acas.

He said: "GMB members are furious that Wilko would turn on its dedicated workforce and slash company sick pay. Picking a fight with your workforce by imposing draconian cuts to sick pay is no way for a modern employer to act.

"This will have a negative impact on both the business, while hard-working employees will be pushed into poverty because they won't be able to pay their bills if they are sick.

"Other workers will be forced to come into stores when sick because Wilko has taken away their sick pay."

A Wilko spokesman said: "We have been a family friendly company for 90 years and we remain so. We have been talking to the GMB about our pressing need to reduce our high sickness absence levels for some time and to bring them in line with our competitors.

"We have a generous company sick pay policy which is over and above the market. In some areas of our business, absence levels are double that of the industry standard and this is a real concern for us.

"Our plan is to take steps to bring our company sick pay into line with the industry standard for retail to be competitive in the marketplace for our customers.

"This is not related in any way to the Covid-19 outbreak. As a responsible business we are following PHE advice, should any team members need time off as a result of Covid-19, they will be paid company sick pay as an exceptional circumstance."